Existing retail networks performing order processing may suffer from inefficient distribution of workload. Many factors may contribute to this inefficient distribution across a network. One source of inefficiency may be the inability to redirect a portion of a work order process from a first pharmacy resource that lacks capacity to process that portion of the work order to a location in which there is additional capacity to process that type of work. This inability to distribute the particular work portion or work type may be due to an inability to dissociate the work portion from a physical aspect of the work order. For example, while some portions of a work order filling process, such as information processing, may be distributed remotely, some portions may currently require product specific or location specific handling that does not allow the portion of work to be easily reallocated away from a product location, thereby underutilizing available resources at network locations away from the product.
In a pharmacy application, an order process aspect that has traditionally required onsite handling of a specific pharmacy product is product verification. Not only may the pharmacist need to be onsite, some systems may require that the pharmacist be in proximity of the pharmacy product for the prescription order to be verified. The verification process may be further complicated if a specialist is required to perform the product verification. For example, while a non-pharmacist technician may assist in preparing a drug prescription (for example, by filing a vial with a certain amount of a drug) a registered pharmacist, may still be required to inspect and sign off on the pharmacy product. Thus, existing prescription order processing systems may be dependent on the availability of a specialist at a particular location.